


Lyrium Song

by FrozenHearts



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus, Lyrium, Lyrium Addiction, Lyrium Withdrawal, M/M, Mages & Templars, Magic, Mentioned Sera, Prejudice & Bigotry, Skyhold, Templars (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 13:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13705104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: Dorian knew mages were not fond of Templars, and they had good reason.





	Lyrium Song

**Author's Note:**

> This is not my best work by a long shot. I'll probably come back and edit it up later but for now enjoy

Being with the Iron Bull was magic in more ways than one, to Dorian Pavus. He remembered fleetingly seeing the Qunari the day he ran through Haven like a madman, turrets blasting cannonballs and dragons raining fire from the sky. With Red Templars and a few angry rebel mages on his heels, as he banged on the door to the keep, Dorian felt it was quite the entrance. Bull had greeted him at the door with the lovely Inquisitor, who promptly picked up her staff and charged into battle.

Now, in Bull's room, in Bull's bed, he couldn't be more glad that he'd found his way here. He was able to just be himself, love Bull as much as he knew Bull loved him (even if he had weird ideas about love due to the laws of the Qun), and he'd made great friends. Sera was a bit of an ankle biter, choosing to deal with things through pranks and practical jokes- usually on the Lady Seeker Cassandra, who had a heart of gold under her hard candy exterior. Bull told him once that Soap, the elf Inquisitor who proved her badass-ery in battle the day he arrived, had a bit of a soft-spot for Sera, although she seemed to be involved with that lumbering Blackwall.

He was a quiet man, but something about him seemed off. The thought was quickly brushed aside as Bull tugged him into a chaste kiss, nudging Dorian's cheek with his nose.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, kadan?" Bull asked.

Dorian sighed, "Just how I never thought I'd meet this many people in my life. Everyone is so different and they mesh quite well."

Bull snorted, wrapping his arm around Dorian's waist, "I guess. Cole doesn't seem to know where to go, poor kid."

Right. Dorian struggled to remember him, but he knew of Cole. The Inquisitor had to describe him a lot to some people, saying he was a skinny waif of a boy, no older than twenty years. Blond hair unkempt and hanging limp in his face, blue eyes hidden under a wide-brimmed hat and patched up clothes. Having met him only once, Dorian could tell Cole wasn't entirely... there, for lack of a better term. Solas liked to claim he was a Spirit.

And judging from the way Bull had stopped talking, said Spirit was sitting in the room, watching them curiously from the edge of the bed.

"Fasta vass!" Bull exclaimed, tugging his blanket over both himself and Dorian, "Cole!"

"Heaviness, swirling, his fingers, right there, there..." Cole mumbled, "so much warmth, I could stay here forever, I wish I could stay, Amatus-"

"Thank you, Cole!" Dorian hated how he giggled, his face no doubt heating up as Bull grinned smugly at him, Cole's words finally making sense. He was unnerved how much Cole knew just from watching, waiting in the shadows. As Sera said, it was "Downright creepy, yeah? Feels like some smuggler is theivin' on how to snatch your man-bits or somethin'."

Cole cocked his head, clamping his mouth shut. Dorian waited for him to say something, as he stared at Cole. Cole stared back, eyes flicking between him and Bull, curious, but Dorian let out a sigh of relief when Cole simply said, "You are a mage, yes, Dorian?"

Dorian frowned. Normally, he'd be glad to discuss magic with anyone who asked, but now was not the time. And he didn't particularly feel like discussing it with Cole. Or while in bed with Bull. Really, he just wanted to dive right back in bed with Bull, smother him with kisses and-

"Templars, everywhere," Cole suddenly said.

Bull coughed, "We sided with the mages, kid. No templars here."

Cole shook his head, "Wrong. I hear it, it's not as strong as the Fade, but it's hear and ringing and I don't like it."

Now Dorian was confused.

"Cole, what do you hear?" Dorian asked, sitting up. It was no secret that Cole was privy to things living people wouldn't, and now was one of those times. "Many things can be considered singing, what do you hear?"

Cole bit his lip, and Dorian could see the gears turning in his head. Probably trying to figure out how to explain properly. Cole's way with words was odd, and most people tuned him out, ignored him when he was speaking or didn't even know he was there. A beat of silence. Bull was rubbing his fingers along Dorian's back, eyes darting between the two of them.

"Cole." Dorian reiterated, "What do you hear. Now."

The Spirit seemed to shrink, but he finally picked up his head. Tears were in those large blue eyes, and his lower lip quivered as he spoke.

"Lyrium," he said in a soft whisper, "it's too loud, it hurts, it hurts- make it stop, I don't want it, I told her I'd stop-"

Dorian was pulling on his clothes and out of bed in a flash, Bull following close behind.

\------

Sera told him they found Cullen in that stupid tower room of his on the other side of Skyhold.

"Was all tied up and shit," she said, "Had to get the Inquisitor and Krem to help untie him."

Dorian looked down at Cullen's prone form. The man was deathly pale, the scar on his lip looking darker than normal. His wrists and ankles were an angry red with abraisons from rope, his breath shallow as he twitched and curled in on himself in the small infirmary cot. Something in the air felt wrong, as Cole had said earlier, and he finally shivered, feeling the wight of the song on his shoulders.

"Will he be alright?" Dorian asked.

Sera shrugged, "Dunno. Helisma said he was pretty drugged up on the stuff."

The Inquisitor had said as much. Cole had said it was lyrium, but he didn't say what kind. Blue lyrium was alright for magic use, but if ingested it could poison you. Red lyrium- Varric always said it was nasty stuff, the one Templars used to command demons and perform rituals. Even standing near it could drive a person mad. Even now, Dorian was wary to look at his friend, he could see the thin lines of blood from where he struggled, going nicely with his busted lip and the bruises coloring his face,

"He'll be okay, Dorian," Bull was behind him, wrapping him in a hug, "He's strong."

Dorian scowled, "I know that, you big ass. But the Inquisitor said he was weaning off the lyrium- what if he has withdrawal episodes? He's hurt, it isn't good for recuperating-"

Cullen's groaning cut him off, and Dorian immediately knelt by the bed, frowning as he waited for Cullen to wake. His blond hair was looking a bit curly without the product in it, mussed from the pillow. Normally Dorian would make fun of it, but for now he left it alone.

\------

The Inquisitor- bless her heart- told Iron Bull and Dorian it was a group of rebel mages that did this to Cullen. They came in with Enchanter Fiona's group, a nice group, but then they broke off after finding out Cullen was a Templar, angry at Fiona for daring to speak with him,for helping in finding materials, for even saying hello. All their reasons- he's a Templar, they enslaved us, they control demons- were ignored by Fiona and the rest of the Inquisition.

Cullen was reformed, Fiona constantly told them, Cullen was an ex-Templar who saw the error of his ways and he's a good man.

According to the report, the mages stole whatever red lyrium Varric had found for inspection, liquifying it before hiding it in their coats and making their way across the battlements in the dead of night. They snuck through the hole in Cullen's roof and took him by surprise.

It was easy, as Cullen had been going through withdrawal from quitting lyrium, to overpower him and hold him down. To pry open his jaw until it bruised and force the lyrium down his throat until his body was unable to take it, seizing and thrashing. When that happened, the Inquisitor said they all fled, back to their own beds and pretended like nothing happened when Sera later called for help u[on finding him.

A few days after the incident, Cullen was out and about once more. Unable to spar for the time being, he watched from the sidelines as his troops worked with Fiona's mages and Bull's Chargers. Krem stuck to Cullen like a thorn in his side, although Bull would never admit to telling him to do so. The hole in Cullen's roof was patched up, the doors warded and everywhere Cullen went, someone was with him, be it Sera or Dorian or Cole.

It was starting to get on Cullen's nerves.

"Please, Krem, I'm fine," Cullen said for the third time that morning, as he spotted Krem eyeing the tavern warily. Bull had invited him for a drink and a game of Wicked Grace, and he decided to indulge the man. It wasn't often he came to the tavern, so he knew he was going to get some odd looks, but with Krem hovering over him, it was a bit more than unnerving.

"Boss said to keep an eye on you," was all Krem said, "I'm just following his orders."

Cullen nodded, pursing his lips. He understood, he really did, but he just wanted to be alone. Alone with his thoughts and his work and his mabari, so people wouldn't keep asking if he was alright, if he needed anything, if-

"Cullen!" Krem broke through his thoughts, and Cullen found himself sitting against the wall, Krem fretting over him like a mother hen as he called for a healer.

 

 


End file.
